Saturday, May 13, 2006

What Shortage of IT Workers?

If one repeats a lie enough times, it becomes accepted as fact. The truth is that there is not a shortage of software professionals. The proof is in the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

From 1995-1999 on average 149,800 jobs were created each year over the last in software occupations. That was very good - and probably qualified as a bonified shortage.

From 2000-2004, the following five year window, software occupations averaged a LOSS of 8600 jobs each year. That is a LOSS in case you missed it the first time.

I am no math genious, but "ladies and gentlemen of the jury" how can there be a shortage of software professionals when the occupation is actually averaging negative job growth? The plain truth is that lobbyists were too lazy to do the math and assumed that you wouldn't call them on it anyways. Industry lobbyists are just dying to revive the "shortage" argument so that they can flood the IT labor market with more underpaid foreign workers - by raising the H-1b visa cap.

3 Comments:

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2006 01:03:34 AM]NEW DELHI: The move to increase the number of visas for temporary highly skilled (H-1B) workers has gathered momentum in the US Senate, with the introduction of yet another bill, S 2611 or ‘a bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes’.

The bill proposes to increase the annual cap from 65,000 to 115,000 and automatically increase the new cap by 20% each year. The bill also proposes to create a new exemption to the proposed cap for anyone who has an “advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, or math” from any foreign university.

As per the proposals in this bill, H-1B workers are eligible for green cards and will be allowed to stay and work in the US for as long as it takes to process the green card application. "

His this guy EVER taken a class in Econometrics? His IGNORANCE of the subject hasn't stopped him from publicizing the depth of his ignorance. His "regression analysis" would not get him a charity D- at the local Community College, but this doesn't stop him from drawing inferences from his "research." If his skills in Computer Programming are comparable, he should look for a new career in the taxicab industry.

That is the SKIL Bill. It isn't based on anything more than a demand for low-cost labor.

Regarding the anonymous posting, you don't need a degree in economics. The question is quite simple - should the H-1b cap exceed the number of jobs created, or not? It is a matter of fundemental fairness.

People like him (or her) claim a shortage of skilled labor but offer nothing more than authoritative evidence to back that up - essentially their proof is the ramblings and misinformation of corporate lobyists.

If you compare actual jobs created with the number of H-1b visas issued, you will find that Americans any gains in employment were lost.

At least Prasanth has the fortitude to not post anonymously. Do you have any spefic complaints or are you just slinging mud?